


Future Nostalgic

by DoreyG



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alliances, Alwaysagirl!Gerard Keay, Gen, Genderswap, Negotiations, Pre-Canon, Rule 63
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:07:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25645540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoreyG/pseuds/DoreyG
Summary: About half an hour later, a thoroughly inefficient amount of time although she’s really far too sensible to comment on that, there’s a low thumping from the stairs and the being that she kindly allowed to sleep in her spare bedroom last night emerges reluctantly into the light.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4
Collections: Rule 63 Exchange 2020





	Future Nostalgic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FaintlyMacabre](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaintlyMacabre/gifts).



There’s a loud thud from upstairs at about noon, and a rather unsettling groan. She briefly contemplates grabbing her makeshift flamethrower from the kitchen cupboard, the Corruption doesn’t look to be trying anything soon but it always pays to be prepared, and then forces herself to relax and keep buttering bread.

About half an hour later, a thoroughly inefficient amount of time although she’s really far too sensible to comment on that, there’s a low thumping from the stairs and the being that she kindly allowed to sleep in her spare bedroom last night emerges reluctantly into the light.

Geri Keay, or Geraldine Keay has her unfortunate mother christened her, is tiny. She has clouds of black hair, more piercings than she can count and an expression of sleepy suspicion that’d probably warm her heart if she still had one. She resembles her mother more than anything, but while her mother would already be in the kitchen and going for the nearest set of knives Geri simply waits tensely in the doorway.

“Nice to see you finally up,” she says briskly, because she’s never had time for politeness, and gestures at the second chair standing by the dining table. “Would you like lunch?”

Geri hesitates for a long moment before responding, obviously contemplating her every word. She likes that, she’s met a truly disappointing amount of people whose main problem in life was an unfortunate inability to shut up. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” She presses, mainly because she doesn’t want a starving youth collapsed over her nice kitchen floor. Honestly, it took far too long to get the stains out last time. “I’ve made two ham sandwiches, I’m happy to share while we discuss business.”

“I’m thinking of becoming a vegetarian,” Geri says abruptly, with the briefest hint of a shudder. “It seems safer that way.”

“Forgive me, but you could always take the ham out and just eat the butter.” she points out calmly, and isn’t really surprised when that doesn’t raise even a flicker of a smile. Nobody ever gets her jokes, it’s really quite disappointing. “And please, sit down. It’s tiring to see you hovering there like you have no place to go. I have enough things attempting to loom over me in day to day life, thank you very much.”

That finally earns her a reaction, a startled widening of the eyes, but it’s only brief. Geri hesitates for a moment more, and then drifts from her vantage point and settles down at the table. She stares down at the wooden grain silently, lost in her own mind.

“Very well,” she says briskly, and takes a hearty bite of her sandwich. No need to waste good food, after all. “I destroyed your mother’s page last night. If all has gone as it should, which it has, then you shouldn’t be troubled by her anymore. You’re free of her, for once and for all.”

There’s a long moment of silence, and then Geri utters a bitter laugh. “Nice. But I don’t think that I’m ever going to be free of her, not really.”

“Mentally, no. But I wasn’t talking about your mental scars,” she says, and takes another bite. She’s never been much of a cook, you can’t take out powers with a nice spag bol after all, but she will admit a certain pride over her sandwiches. “Practically she’s gone, and that unfortunate book is gone with her. Thankfully one less thing to worry about.”

A lie, but Geri doesn’t seem to notice. She wasn’t expecting the girl to. She seems rather intelligent and perceptive, but she has a certain talent for hiding the truth.

“Which leaves you with rather a quandary,” she continues briskly, not stopping to draw the moment out and test her luck. She criticizes the powers enough for their overblown sense of drama, she’d be a true fool if she made the same mistake herself. “What do you intend to do next?”

Geri stares at the table for a moment more, and then very slowly frowns up at her. “I don’t know.”

“Hm, I must admit that is a surprise. I would’ve thought that you’d be eager to make your own decisions, now that you’re freed from the unfortunate spectre of your mother.” She lays down her sandwich, takes a sip of the perfectly made cup of tea that she’s laid by her plate. “You’re a young woman, barely even out of her teens-”

“I’m twenty five.”

“-With her entire life ahead of her,” she finishes, not really caring. To her mind there are only three life stages that matter: childhood, adulthood and death. “You could do anything. You’re smart, you’re talented, you have a level of understanding that most people never even come close to achieving. The world is your oyster, to use a rather unfortunate cliche.”

Geri’s jaw shifts for a moment, backwards and forwards. That’s a tell that her mother didn’t give her, as Mary always despised any kind of physical weakness. “I wish it wasn’t.”

“A pointless wish,” she says bluntly, and takes another sip of her tea. “It is either your oyster, or you are dead. Those are the only two choices, and though I don’t know you very well I am absolutely certain that you are sensible enough to pick the first one.”

“Don’t-” Geri snaps, and then visibly calms herself. Obviously aware, as aware as she’s become, that emotion is only a weapon for other people to use against you. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” She arches an eyebrow. “I am a sensible and intelligent woman myself, there is no point in pretending otherwise, but I cannot yet read minds. Or, more accurately, I can to a degree but there seems little point in feeding a power that will happily kill me for daring to accept its bounty.”

“Don’t say that I’m sensible, or intelligent. Don’t say that I can understand things, or that I’m talented, or that I’m smart. Don’t say that the world is my oyster, that I have endless possibilities. Don’t compliment me. Just _don’t_.” Geri takes in one deep breath, and then another. Judging by the look on her face, that’s the most she’s revealed about herself since childhood. “You don’t need to butter me up like you buttered that bread. I’ve had enough of that to last a lifetime.”

“Very well,” she says calmly, and carefully lays her teacup down. “Just out of interest, enough of…?”

“People complimenting me to manipulate me, to get me to do things,” Geri says bluntly, and there’s a genuine flash of pain in her eyes for a long moment before she hastily covers it. “My mother did it all my life, and I don’t need more of it. I don’t need anything. Not compliments, not sugar sweet care and _certainly_ not another mum.”

Ah.

Suddenly, everything becomes depressingly clear. She allows herself a brief sigh, picks up her tea and finishes it off with a businesslike swig. “That is wonderful news, because I don’t want to be your mother.”

“Bullshit,” Geri says, glaring at her with dark and hostile eyes.

“It most certainly is not,” she says, a touch sharply. “I have never wanted children. It hasn’t been a matter of not having the time and having my dreams slip through my fingers, but rather an active lack of desire. I don’t want to be responsible for another creature to that degree. I don’t want to be supportive and kind and caring, or authoritative and strict and guiding, or anything of the sort. I care for myself and I care for this world, and that has always been enough.”

“I don’t believe you,” Geri says, but with a slightly wavering note to her voice. “This is another manipulation. Why would you have helped me to this degree, if you didn’t…?”

“Because, admittedly, I did feel guilty about letting your mother slip through my fingers,” she interrupts sternly, raising a finger to still Geri’s tiresome protests. “Because nobody deserves all that you’ve been through, even if what people deserve generally doesn’t matter. Because I thought it would be useful, to have one more person on my side.”

Geri blinks at that, and settles back. It was the correct tactic, she seems the type of woman to respond far better to hard cold facts than any sort of emotion. “On your side?”

“You know, better than anyone, that we’re at war,” she says bluntly, and is pleased when she sees Geri’s shoulders go back into a soldier’s pose. “The fact of the matter is that I don’t need a daughter, or even a friend. I need an ally and a colleague, and you seemed the perfect person to recruit.”

Geri considers that for a long moment, obviously turning the matter over in her mind. “So those are the base facts, then?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t care about me at all,” Geri continues carefully, slowly looking up until their eyes finally meet. “This is just a professional arrangement, and nothing more than that?”

“I’ve tried non-professional arrangements, in the past. Having friends, having people I cared for, having people I truly trusted…” Maybe she is slipping, that’s closer than she’s got to emotion in years. She deliberately calms herself, carries on coolly. “It didn’t work out, and I never repeat the same mistake twice.”

She expects Geri to glance away at that, but instead the girl only swallows and continues to hold her gaze. “Do you want to use me?”

“Yes,” she says very bluntly, and isn’t surprised to see a small smile spread across Geri’s face at the words. “And doubtlessly will. But no emotions will be involved in the using, and it will never be personal. This is simply a professional arrangement, nothing more and nothing less.”

“A professional arrangement,” Geri muses, still wearing that little smile. A strong girl, one fit for the fight. “I’ve never had one of those before.”

“Does it meet all of your expectations?” She asks wryly, arching her eyebrow again.

“And every single one of my dreams,” Geri says wryly, and hesitates for only a moment more before leaning towards her. “I still don’t know what I’m doing with my life from now on, and I still don’t believe that the world is my oyster. But… I’m willing to figure it out. With you, if you want. All professional like.”

“‘All professional like’. Sounds like a deal to me,” she says, allowing the briefest moment of softness to enter her voice. And then tucks it away, picks up her empty cup and empty plate and climbs to her feet. “Come on, let me make us another cup of tea. I think we have a fair amount to discuss.”


End file.
